INSIDE A HOUSE OF HORRORS. AND A HOMICIDE CASE SPANNING TWO LOCAL SUBURBANS. TONIGHT IT IS BECOMING CLEAR WHAT HAPPENED IN FRANKLIN AND THEN ROYAL OAK. WELL, GOOD EVENING. TWO PEOPLE ARE DEAD, AND THE FIRST TO DIE WAS THIS MAN HARRY BERKOWITZ. WE HAVE NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE 72-YEAR-OLD TEACHER WHO WORKED IN THE BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT. MR. BERKOWITZ WAS FOUND SHOT TO DEATH THIS MORNING INSIDE HIS HOME ON CHARLES LANE IN THE VILLAGE OF FRANKLIN. THE INVESTIGATION LED POLICE TO ROYAL OESHING WHERE THEY SURROUNDED THE HOME IN THE 2200 BLOCK OF SPRAGUE. THAT STANDOFF LASTED A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE SUSPECT WAS FOUND DEAD INSIDE THAT HOME. THIS EVENING WE HAVE LIVE REPORTS FROM BOTH LOCATIONS STARTING IN FRANKLIN WITH ROD MALONEY, AND YOU ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUT MR. BERKOWITZ, ROD. Reporter: YES WE ARE, RUTH. MOST PEOPLE IF YOU HAVE BEEN TO EITHER THE FRANKLIN OR BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT THE LAST HALF CENTURY A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT YOU HAD OR KNEW ABOUT MR. B. THEY CALLED HIM, BERKOWITZ. HE DIED IN HIS HOME DOING WHAT HE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE DONE, HELPING OUT HIS FELLOW MAN. 72-YEAR-OLD HARRY BERKOWITZ WAS SHOT TO DEATH IN HIS FRANKLIN VILLAGE HOME. POLICE BELIEVE A MAN WHO LIVED WITH HIM 32-YEAR-OLD LEON MATTHEWS KILLED BERKOWITZ OVER WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW AND MAY NEVER FIND OUT. VILLAGE POLICE CHIEF SAYS BERKOWITZ'S HUMAN KINDNESS WAS TUR TURNED AGAINST HIM. I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER THE WHOLE TIME AND BERKOWITZ WAS TRYING TO MENTOR HIM FOR A NUMBER YEARS. Reporter: THE OAKLAND COUNTY CRIME LAB WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND TOOK EVIDENCE FROM THE HOME. POLICE HAD NOTIFIED ROYAL OAKS POLICE TO LOOK FOR MATTHEWS AT AN ACQUAINTANCES HOME THAT LED TO TODAY'S STANDOFF AND SUICIDE. CHIEF ROBERTS SAID THEY ARE BOTH DEEPLY EFFECTED. A SCHOOLTEACHER EVERYBODY WHO HAD HIM AS A STUDENT LOVED HIM AND THOUGHT VERY HIGHLY OF HIM AS A TEACHER. HE IS STILL TEACHING AT AGE 70 SOMETHING YEARS OLD AND THAT IS A TESTAMENT OF HIS CHARACTER THERE. Reporter: LONG-TIME FRANKLIN RESIDENT HAD BERKOWITZ WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG BOY, AND SHE KNEW HIM WELL. MR. BERKOWITZ'S PASSION WAS TEACHING AND HIS PASSION WAS CHILDREN. AND HE GAVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. HE LOVED FRANKLIN. HE LOVED GARDENS AND FLOWERS. AND FIELD TRIPS WITH THE KIDS. AND KNEW HIM BACK FROM FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I AM NOW 52 YEARS OLD SO THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO. Reporter: OKAY, AS WE COME BACK LIVE TO THE SITUATION HERE, THE BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL SYSTEM JUST HAD A NEWS CONFERENCE WHERE THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO BE BRINGING GRIEF COUNSELORS IN BECAUSE MR. BERKOWITZ WAS TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN READING AND THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHILDREN ARE PROTECTED IN THIS SITUATION. ALSO THERE IS THE POLICE CHIEF WHO IS TELLING US TONIGHT THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO MORE CONCERN HERE IN FRANKLIN OVER ANY MORE VIOLENCE. THEY ARE SAYING THAT ALL OF THE SITUATION HERE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL AND THAT THERE IS NO OTHER PROSPECTIVE VIOLENCE THAT IS LIKELY TO BE LED FROM THIS AS THE DAY GO ON. BACK TO YOU. ROD, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE EVIDENCE THEY GATHERED? WELL, YOU KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE HEARING IS THAT LAST NIGHT HERE, THERE WERE A LARGE GROUP OF YOUNG M LARGE GROUP OF YOUNG MEN HERE ON THE DRIVEWAY AT BERKOWITZ'S H THE DRIVEWAY AT BERKOWITZ'S HOME. WHETHER THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH LAST NIGHT OR NOT, WE SURE DON'T KNOW BUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE WELL AWARE OF THAT AND THEY ARE CERTAINLY INSIDE A HOUSE OF HORRORS. AND A HOMICIDE CASE SPANNING TWO LOCAL SUBURBANS. TONIGHT IT IS BECOMING CLEAR WHAT HAPPENED IN FRANKLIN AND THEN ROYAL OAK. WELL, GOOD EVENING. TWO PEOPLE ARE DEAD, AND THE FIRST TO DIE WAS THIS MAN HARRY BERKOWITZ. WE HAVE NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE 72-YEAR-OLD TEACHER WHO WORKED IN THE BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT. MR. BERKOWITZ WAS FOUND SHOT TO DEATH THIS MORNING INSIDE HIS HOME ON CHARLES LANE IN THE VILLAGE OF FRANKLIN. THE INVESTIGATION LED POLICE TO ROYAL OESHING WHERE THEY SURROUNDED THE HOME IN THE 2200 BLOCK OF SPRAGUE. THAT STANDOFF LASTED A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE SUSPECT WAS FOUND DEAD INSIDE THAT HOME. THIS EVENING WE HAVE LIVE REPORTS FROM BOTH LOCATIONS STARTING IN FRANKLIN WITH ROD MALONEY, AND YOU ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUT MR. BERKOWITZ, ROD. Reporter: YES WE ARE, RUTH. MOST PEOPLE IF YOU HAVE BEEN TO EITHER THE FRANKLIN OR BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT THE LAST HALF CENTURY A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT YOU HAD OR KNEW ABOUT MR. B. THEY CALLED HIM, BERKOWITZ. HE DIED IN HIS HOME DOING WHAT HE HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE DONE, HELPING OUT HIS FELLOW MAN. 72-YEAR-OLD HARRY BERKOWITZ WAS SHOT TO DEATH IN HIS FRANKLIN VILLAGE HOME. POLICE BELIEVE A MAN WHO LIVED WITH HIM 32-YEAR-OLD LEON MATTHEWS KILLED BERKOWITZ OVER WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW AND MAY NEVER FIND OUT. VILLAGE POLICE CHIEF SAYS BERKOWITZ'S HUMAN KINDNESS WAS TUR TURNED AGAINST HIM. I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER THE WHOLE TIME AND BERKOWITZ WAS TRYING TO MENTOR HIM FOR A NUMBER YEARS. Reporter: THE OAKLAND COUNTY CRIME LAB WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND TOOK EVIDENCE FROM THE HOME. POLICE HAD NOTIFIED ROYAL OAKS POLICE TO LOOK FOR MATTHEWS AT AN ACQUAINTANCES HOME THAT LED TO TODAY'S STANDOFF AND SUICIDE. CHIEF ROBERTS SAID THEY ARE BOTH DEEPLY EFFECTED. A SCHOOLTEACHER EVERYBODY WHO HAD HIM AS A STUDENT LOVED HIM AND THOUGHT VERY HIGHLY OF HIM AS A TEACHER. HE IS STILL TEACHING AT AGE 70 SOMETHING YEARS OLD AND THAT IS A TESTAMENT OF HIS CHARACTER THERE. Reporter: LONG-TIME FRANKLIN RESIDENT HAD BERKOWITZ WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG BOY, AND SHE KNEW HIM WELL. MR. BERKOWITZ'S PASSION WAS TEACHING AND HIS PASSION WAS CHILDREN. AND HE GAVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. HE LOVED FRANKLIN. HE LOVED GARDENS AND FLOWERS. AND FIELD TRIPS WITH THE KIDS. AND KNEW HIM BACK FROM FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I AM NOW 52 YEARS OLD SO THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO. Reporter: OKAY, AS WE COME BACK LIVE TO THE SITUATION HERE, THE BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL SYSTEM JUST HAD A NEWS CONFERENCE WHERE THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO BE BRINGING GRIEF COUNSELORS IN BECAUSE MR. BERKOWITZ WAS TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN READING AND THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHILDREN ARE PROTECTED IN THIS SITUATION. ALSO THERE IS THE POLICE CHIEF WHO IS TELLING US TONIGHT THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO MORE CONCERN HERE IN FRANKLIN OVER ANY MORE VIOLENCE. THEY ARE SAYING THAT ALL OF THE SITUATION HERE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL AND THAT THERE IS NO OTHER PROSPECTIVE VIOLENCE THAT IS LIKELY TO BE LED FROM THIS AS THE DAY GO ON. BACK TO YOU. ROD, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE EVIDENCE THEY GATHERED? WELL, YOU KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE HEARING IS THAT LAST NIGHT HERE, THERE WERE A LARGE GROUP OF YOUNG M LARGE GROUP OF YOUNG MEN HERE ON THE DRIVEWAY AT BERKOWITZ'S H THE DRIVEWAY AT BERKOWITZ'S HOME. WHETHER THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH LAST NIGHT OR NOT, WE SURE DON'T KNOW BUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE WELL AWARE OF

FRANKLIN, Mich. -

Harry Berkowitz was shot to death early Tuesday morning in his Franklin Village home.

Police believe a man who lived with him, 33-year-old Thomas Ian Matthews, killed Berkowitz. The motive is not yet known and may never be determined.

"I do know they've known each other for a long time and I believe Mr. Berkowitz was trying to mentor him for a number of years," said Roberts.

The Oakland County Crime Lab was called to the scene and took evidence from the home. Long before that, police in Franklin had notified Royal Oak police to look for Matthews at an acquaintance's home. Police found Matthews at a home on Sprague Avenue.

Officers and SWAT team members surrounded the Royal Oak home for hours until a robot went inside and showed it was safe to enter. Police went inside and found Matthews dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Berkowitz had been teaching in the Birmingham Public Schools for decades. Chief Roberts says Franklin and the city of Birmingham are deeply shaken by the violence.

"It's tragic when anyone dies but especially a school teacher, and anyone who knew (Berkowitz) loved him and thought very highly of him," said Roberts. "He was still teaching in his 70s, which I think is emblematic of his character."

Longtime Franklin resident Nancy Katzman's brother had Berkowitz as a teacher when he was a young boy. Katzman knew him well, too.

"Mr. B's passion was teaching. We knew him as Mr. B," said Katzman. "He was into gardening and he gave flowers to everyone. He will be missed."

-- Harry Berkowitz

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